Israelis bid farewell to Shiri Bibas and her 2 young sons killed in captivity in Gaza
More than 100,000 Israelis lined the streets as hearses carrying the bodies of the family killed by Hamas during their captivity in Gaza passed by. Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas headed to the cemetery in southern Israel as a crowd carried Israeli flags and orange balloons, representing the color of the children's hair, now a symbol of honor and shared grief for the family.
The bodies of Shiri Bibas and her sons, Ariel and Kfir, kidnapped on October 7, 2023 during the Hamas terrorist group's attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz, will be buried this Wednesday in a private ceremony in Zohar, near their home.
In a statement on social media, the family expressed their gratitude for the support received.
"The warm embrace, love and strength that you have sent us from all over Israel and the world strengthen us and accompany us in these moments of crisis." They also indicated that they are aware that many people wish to say goodbye and pay tribute to the victims, so they asked for respect for their decision to hold an intimate farewell: "Please respect our choice to say goodbye in these final moments in the manner we see fit."
Ben Gurion Airport, the Israeli Knesset and the presidential residence were lit up in orange on Tuesday night to remember the mother and children whose plight captured Israel's heart.
President Isaac Herzog issued a statement that read, among other things: "While an entire nation prayed and hoped for a different outcome, we are left hurting and grieving. Yet, even in our grief, we will continue to pray for better days and for the swift return of all hostages still held in Gaza."
The Knesset, the unicameral body that holds legislative power in the State of Israel, met on Wednesday morning and began with a minute of silence in memory of the Bibas family. In his remarks, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana referred to Kibbutz Nir Oz co-founder Oded Lifshitz, 83, whose body was returned along with the Bibas children.
"Last night Oded Lifshitz was buried, may God avenge his blood, and the Knesset building was lit orange in memory of those who are being buried at this moment: Shiri Bibas and her two young sons, Ariel and Kfir, the redheads, may God avenge their blood," Ohana said.
To enable Israeli society to express its condolences, the route of the funeral procession will be published, inviting the public to gather along the route. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum urged citizens to line the route with Israeli flags as a sign of respect.
A kidnapping that shocked Israel, Argentina and the world
The Bibas family, who have dual Israeli and Argentine nationality, became a symbol of the hostages' suffering following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which left approximately 1,200 dead and 251 kidnapped in southern Israel.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) report, Shiri, Ariel and Kfir remained in captivity for four months until they were killed in November 2023. This version contradicts Hamas's statement that they had been killed in an Israeli bombardment.
The children's father, Yarden Bibas, who was also abducted, was released alive on February 1. After the deaths of his wife and children were confirmed, he said he wanted "the whole world to know and be horrified" by what had happened.
IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said Shiri, Ariel and Kfir were killed "in cold blood" and that their captors tried to conceal evidence of the crime. According to Hagari, the children were killed "with bare hands" by their kidnappers.
Outrage over the murder of the children crossed borders, with the Argentine government declaring two days of mourning and monuments in several cities around the world being lit in orange in tribute to the children. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a military event on Sunday, held up a photograph of Shiri, Ariel and Kfir Bibas as a symbol of "why we fight and who we fight against."
Meanwhile, Netanyahu is facing mounting domestic pressure to define the future of the Gaza operation. It has yet to make progress on the second phase of the hostage deal as its right wing threatens to topple the government if it goes ahead with negotiations involving an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages.